This is one of those memoirs where it’s really good to know at the beginning that the protagonist has turned out ok, or otherwise you might not be able to read it. I spent the entire read longing to reach in and hug her really tightly.

Gavanndra Hodge is the daughter of two reckless, alcoholic, drug taking parents. At the age of seven, she is staying up until the early hours making sure the junkies don’t set fire to the house with their falling cigarettes, turning off the TV and record player, and then wondering why the tooth fairy has forgotten her again. She does everything she can to protect her family, but her younger sister, Candy,  dies of a rare medical condition when Gavanndra is fourteen.

When she becomes the mother of two small daughters she realises that she cannot remember her own sister and, in an attempt to find Candy and deal with her own grief, she goes back to her childhood and those hidden memories of her chaotic, traumatic life with addiction, betrayal and philandering. But she also reveals her bravery, telling the policemen on a raid that they shouldn’t stand on her bed with their shoes on, managing to still get to Cambridge to study Classics, and coming to terms with her parents, who despite everything, very clearly loved her dearly.

Gavanndra Hodge is an experienced journalist and captures the ebbs and flows of the story brilliantly, moving between time periods to fit where she is in her process of discovery. I really enjoyed how she captures little details that reflect and contrast with the bigger picture.

So it’s a heart-rending tale, and if you are anything like me you may need tissues, but also funny, uplifting and optimistic with the ending you are definitely hoping for.

The Consequences of Love by Gavanndra Hodge £8.99

ISBN 978-1-405-94322-2 Penguin Books